depth of field.
Photo: Sam Nestory
David Korbonits knows his way around a garden. He spent 28 years as a horticulturist at Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, DE, before retiring in 2018. His area of specialty was Mt. Cuba’s meadow garden, teeming with native grasses and wildflowers.
But, years before his career in horticulture, David’s happy place was behind his camera. He studied professional photography in college and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in the same field, all with the goal of one day teaching others. The recession that greeted him upon graduation meant jobs were scarce, so David moved back to his hometown of West Chester, PA, to look for work wherever he could find it.
“The house I grew up in was in the middle of the woods,” he recalls. “My playground was the outdoors.”
So, perhaps it was only natural that David began to develop an interest in horticulture. When he retired from Mt. Cuba Center, he knew he wanted to keep promoting native plants. When he heard that Stoneleigh: a natural garden was looking for volunteer ambassadors, he found the perfect fit.
Skipper Butterfly photo by David Korbonits
In addition to greeting guests at the Welcome Kiosk and leading tours through the garden, David has spent the last five years photographing Stoneleigh’s plants, animals, insects, and unique garden design. The thousands of photos help document the plant collection, as well as changes in the garden over time. Quite often, too, he is in the right place at the right time to get magical shots of pollinating bees, courting songbirds, and hovering hawks.
“It’s hard to quantify the impact of David’s volunteering at Stoneleigh,” said Director Ethan Kauffman. “Beyond the help he provides documenting the plants and creatures at the garden, through posting his photos on social media, we reach thousands of people who may never have the chance to visit us.”
Red-tailed Hawk photo by David Korbonits
David is thrilled to have found this bridge between his two passions: horticulture and photography. He’s also discovered how much fun it is to serve as a Stoneleigh Ambassador. “I love meeting people who are curious about Stoneleigh and watch them leave with a smile having learned something new about the place and about native plants.”
Perhaps David’s dream of becoming a teacher has come true after all.
American Goldfinch photo by David Korbonits